Greece issues extreme wildfire alert amid high winds

wildfire risk extreme weather ferry cancellations Greece civil protection

Greece is facing extreme wildfire risks due to severe weather conditions. The General Secretariat for Civil Protection has issued a Category 5 Alert for Attica, Boeotia, Euboea, Argolis, and Corinthia. Additionally, twenty other regions are under a Category 4 high-risk warning.

Strong winds, with local gusts expected to exceed 100 km/h, are driving the danger. Meteorologist Giorgos Tsatrafyllias noted that while temperatures are expected to drop by 6 to 7 degrees Celsius, particularly in eastern regions, the combination of wind and existing dryness increases the risk of rapid fire spread.

Due to the gale-force winds, maritime authorities have imposed a general departure ban for passenger and vehicle ferries from the ports of Rafina and Lavrio, with the exception of routes to Marmari. In Piraeus, some services, such as the Blue Star Paros to Syros, Tinos, and Mykonos, have been cancelled, while other vessels are operating under modified travel plans to account for changing conditions.

Entities

Attica · Central Greece · General Secretariat for Civil Protection · Giorgos Tsatrafyllias · Ministry of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection · Peloponnese · Rafina

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.

[● 2 SOURCES] Wind gusts are expected to reach up to 9 Beaufort, with some gusts exceeding 110 km/h. lawandorder.gr · www.zougla.gr
[● 3 SOURCES] Extreme fire risk (Category 5 Alert) is forecast for Attica, Boeotia, Euboea, Argolis, and Corinthia. www.larissanet.gr · lawandorder.gr · www.zougla.gr
[● 5 SOURCES] A departure ban has been imposed on passenger and vehicle ferries from the ports of Rafina and Lavrio. lawandorder.gr · www.zougla.gr · www.lykavitos.gr · pelop.gr · www.protothema.gr
[● 2 SOURCES] Twenty regions are under very high fire risk (Category 4). www.larissanet.gr · lawandorder.gr
[● 3 SOURCES] The General Secretariat for Civil Protection has issued a Fire Risk Forecast Map. www.larissanet.gr · lawandorder.gr · www.zougla.gr
[● 5 SOURCES] A general departure ban was issued for vessels from Rafina and Lavrio ports, except for Marmari routes. www.lykavitos.gr · pelop.gr · www.protothema.gr · lawandorder.gr · www.zougla.gr
[● 3 SOURCES] Temperatures are expected to drop by 6 to 7 degrees Celsius, mainly in eastern regions. www.lykavitos.gr · pelop.gr · www.protothema.gr
[● 3 SOURCES] Vessels departing from Piraeus for the Saronic Gulf are operating normally. www.lykavitos.gr · pelop.gr · www.protothema.gr
[● 3 SOURCES] Winds are expected to weaken starting Sunday. www.lykavitos.gr · pelop.gr · www.protothema.gr
[● 3 SOURCES] The Blue Star Paros ferry from Piraeus to Syros, Tinos, and Mykonos was cancelled. www.lykavitos.gr · pelop.gr · www.protothema.gr
[● 3 SOURCES] Meteorologist Giorgos Tsatrafyllias predicts strong winds and temperature drops. www.lykavitos.gr · pelop.gr · www.protothema.gr
[● 3 SOURCES] Strong winds have increased the risk of rapid wildfire spread. www.lykavitos.gr · pelop.gr · www.protothema.gr